The Serpent's Hidden Secret
by A.E. Adelinda
Summary: GOF. AU. Severitus. With the Triwizard Tournament at hand, Harry Potter will face more than he ever thought he could. Little does he know that nothing can prepare him for his fourth year at Hogwarts. What odds will be stacked against him and what does a certain Potions Master have to do with it? Read and review.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing. J.K. Rowling is the Queen of the world.

**A/N: Well, I'm finally back after such a long wait. Breaks in my school work have finally allowed me to publish my second story. I hope you all enjoy this and I hope to post more soon. Without further ado, here is the first chapter. **

As the floo fire went out, Severus Snape sighed heavily and moved for the door. He expected that Dumbledore would want to meet with him after the events at the Quidditch World Cup. Severus did not see the point of meeting as he was already aware of everything that the old man could tell him. Either way, something bad was coming.

Severus reached the Headmaster's office and impatiently spat the password. He seriously hoped the meeting wouldn't take up more than five minutes of his time so that he could return to his work. He pushed open the door and entered the office.

"Severus, it's good to see you. Please have a look at the paper on my desk. I'm afraid it's quite urgent." Severus swept past Dumbledore to look at the copy of the Daily Prophet that sat there on the old wooden desk.

DARK MARK APPEARS OVER QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP!

Rumors of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Returning Spread Throughout the Wizarding World.

"Why show me what I already know?" Severus asked nonchalantly as he turned to face Dumbledore again.

"So the mark is becoming clearer again." It wasn't a question. "How serious is it?"

"How serious do you think it is?" He barked as he pulled up his sleeve to show the faint tattoo to the old man. "The sheer fact that it's even there is cause enough for concern." The tattoo on Severus' left arm had been non-existent for the last thirteen years. For it to be reappearing meant something awful was at hand.

"I suppose there is no denying it then." Dumbledore concluded. "It is very likely that Voldemort will return in the next year or so. We have to be ready."

"If that is all we have to talk about, then I'll just…" Severus started to leave.

"Wait Severus." The potions master stopped in his tracks. "Are you so eager to leave? I did not call you here to tell you about the return of Voldemort. I knew you knew about such things already." He held up an envelope. "This is why I asked you to come here."

"What is this?" Severus inquired as he took the envelope from the Headmaster.

"I'm afraid I am not the right person to tell you Severus. The answers you seek lie within that letter."

Severus opened the letter slowly. _Damn the old man and his riddles_, he thought as he began reading the letter.

_Severus, _

_I know that if you are reading this, it means that James and I have been killed by Voldemort._

Severus stiffened. The letter was from Lily.

_I want to start by saying how sorry I am for what happened between us. Leaving you was the hardest decision I have ever had to make. It was not the best option I had, but it was the one I assumed would keep me safe. When I found out that you went missing, I went straight to Dumbledore for help. He told me that I should marry James for my own safety. What I am about to tell you is the most important fact that this letter contains. _

_I did not marry James so I could keep myself safe. I was looking out for someone else as well. Sev, I was pregnant when I went to Dumbledore for help. I was pregnant with your child. When I told him this, he gave me an ultimatum. I could either pretend that the child was James' and lie to the Wizarding World, or I would be forced to terminate the pregnancy. _

_I opted to marry James of course. I could never think of harming our son. I cast numerous glamour charms on him after he was born. In doing so, I caused him to look exactly like James save for my eyes and nose. If our son is still alive, he should be fourteen now and hopefully at Hogwarts. I assume that he's been placed with Tuney and that worries me. I implore you to find our son. Should you wish to make contact with him, his name is…_

Severus froze when he saw what lay on the next line. In Lily's perfect handwriting was the name that gave him the greatest shock of his life.

_Harry James Potter._

Severus was astounded. He didn't want to believe it , but at the same time, he knew that it had to be true. He braced himself as he continued reading.

_His legal name of course is Harry James Snape, but that fact can never be allowed to come to light. I am telling you this because you are the best hope that harry has for a family. I would never dream of having Harry stay with Tuney. She hates magic far too much for her house to be a safe environment, especially with that lump Dursley she married._

_I truly hope that Harry has survived and that you will be there to care for him. _

_I really am sorry that you are not learning this until now, but I did try to explain myself to you before and well, we know how that turned out._

Severus was reminded of the fight he and Lily had immediately following his return. He had assumed that Potter was the father of her child and had accused her of cheating on him.

_The important thing is that now you know and you have the opportunity that I will never have. Please find Harry and tell him the truth. Also, know that I truly regret what I did to and know that I will love you forever. _

_Yours Always, _

_Lily._

Severus set the letter down on the desk. For a few moments, he just stood there, frozen with shock. Potter, the boy he had despised and treated terribly for the last three years, was his… son.

"What are you playing at Dumbledore? Certainly this must be a joke."

"Severus, you should know me well enough to know that I rarely make jokes."

"But...How?" Severus managed to get out.

"Severus, I trust you know how these things work." The Headmaster replied slyly.

"That is not what I meant Dumbledore! Why was I never told?"

"Severus, you have to understand. Lily thought you were dead. We all did. There was no way we could be certain-"

"That I would return!?" Severus snapped. "You never thought to wait before having Lily marry someone else."

"She chose…" Albus tried to speak.

"She chose nothing old man! You gave her little choice in the matter. You knew she would never give up the child. If you had waited a little longer, I could have been with her. I could have protected her." He sank to his knees.

"Severus, you were a spy. If Voldemort knew that your son was the boy in Sybill's prophecy, you could very well have been killed and Lily and Harry would have died as well."

"But Lily died regardless. Besides, that is not the point. You let me believe that boy was Potter's son. I have treated him horribly because he looks so much like that bloody Gryffindor and now I find out that is all an illusion. I always wanted a family and you knew that. Why could you not have sent him to me after we knew the Dark Lord was gone?"

"I had to be sure he was truly gone, and look where we are now. You know very well what the mark on your arm is telling you. It's too dangerous for you to claim Harry now. You must continue to treat him as you always have."

"Then why show me the blasted letter in the first place?" Severus had all but lost his temper. "I just found out that the boy I have hated for the last three years is my son and you expect me to do nothing?"

"I'm afraid we simply cannot risk it. If Voldemort returns, you and Harry would be in grave danger. Eventually you can tell him, but there are more pressing matters at hand. We have the Triwizard Tournament to prepare for. You know full well that Igor Karkaroff is the Headmaster of Durmstrang now. Being the coward he is, he will likely be fretting about the Dark Mark. I want you to keep an eye on him. That is your highest priority. The business with Harry can wait until a safer time. Am I understood?"

Severus clenched his teeth and drew in a harsh breath. Who was Dumbledore to tell him that he wasn't allowed to claim his son? Still, even if he told Harry, what were the chances that he would even want Severus as a father? As much as he hated to admit it, the old man was right, for now.

"Understood." With that, Severus turned and left the office. He swept down to the dungeons and entered his private quarters. All he wanted was a drink. He uncorked a bottle of Ogden's Firewhiskey and poured himself a glass, which he downed quickly. The drink burned his throat on the way down.

Of all the things that could have happened this year, finding out that Harry Potter was his son was certainly near the bottom of his list. He angrily threw the glass into the fire and sunk into the chair at the corner of the room.

He was angry, angry at Lily, angry at Dumbledore for forcing Lily to marry Potter. Most of all, he was angry with himself. If he had just listened to Lily when she came to speak with him, things could have been different.

What was he supposed to do? Just ignore the fact that the boy was his flesh and blood. Students would be arriving in a little over a week and he would have to face his son sooner or later. In order to maintain his cover in case the Dark Lord returned, he would have to continue to treat the boy terribly. It was all that he could do, as Dumbledore forbade him from doing anything else. Making sure the school was safe during the Triwizard Tournament was his top priority after all.

Deciding that sleep was the best thing for him at the moment, Severus headed for his room in the hopes that he might actually get some rest.

**So what did you all think? Let me know by reviewing. I appreciate reviews because they let me know that people are actually interested. So if there is something you like about the story, whether it be a plot event or a phrase I use, let me know. Also, I know that everyone does this, but I will accept constructive criticism. The only thing I cannot abide by is when people's stories are bashed. I wouldn't do it to someone else, so I wouldn't want them doing it to me. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter and that you will continue reading this story.**

**A.E. **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing, but you knew that already didn't you?

**A/N: Well, here's another chapter. Thankfully I haven't had much homework lately so I was able to get this together. I'm not sure that my future updates will be quite as quick, but I assure you all that I will try to get chapters done as swiftly as I can. Anyway, I hope this chapter is to everyone's liking and I will start work on chapter 3 asap.**

The days passed more quickly than Severus could have imagined after the meeting he had with the Headmaster. The students would be arriving shortly and as Severus sat at the staff table, he was reminded that his son would be arriving with them.

At approximately half past five, students started filing into the Great Hall. There were perhaps hundreds of students all trying to make their way to their tables, but Severus was only focused on finding one. He had to fight to keep his emotions in check when a boy with raven coloured hair came through the doors with Weasley and Granger. It was Harry.

It truly registered in Severus' mind that Harry was his son at that moment. After all, up until a week ago, Harry had always been Potter or "boy". Severus was reminded that a lot was going to change now that certain secrets had been revealed.

Harry sat down with the rest of the Golden Trio at the Gryffindor table. Severus noticed that Harry's hair had grown quite a bit over the summer. While it was still dark as ever, it had become less messy than it had been in previous years. _Perhaps the glamours Lily cast on him weren't so permanent after all._ Severus pondered. If such a thing was true, people might start asking questions when the Boy-Who-Lived no longer looked like himself.

The thing Severus was most worried about was how such a secret would affect both his and Harry's lives. Things at Hogwarts would certainly change. The worst thing was: If the Dark Lord did return, there was no way he could continue being a spy, no matter what Dumbledore thought. If something should happen to Harry, Severus would try to protect his son even more than he had over the last three years.

His thoughts were interrupted when the Sorting Hat cried out.

"RAVENCLAW" The students were sorted one by one until all of the first years were seated at their rightful places. Severus stood and met the other Heads of House to receive his list of new students.

"Now that we've all arrived and are sorted," Dumbledore began. "I would like to make an announcement." Severus looked up just in time to see Argus Filch running awkwardly throughout the hall. "Hogwarts has been…" The Headmaster was cut off when Filch reached him. They exchanged a few words before Filch ran awkwardly back out of the hall.

"As I was saying, Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event: The Triwizard Tournament. Now, for those of you who don't know, the Triwizard Tournament is a competition between three wizarding schools. A champion is selected from each school to participate in three tasks, three extremely dangerous tasks. Now would you please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic?"

The doors opened as the students from Beauxbatons strode in, followed by the giant Headmistress Madame Maxime. Severus was uninterested, however. It was the next entrance that would prove to be the problem.

"And now our friends from the north. Please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang and their Highmaster Igor Karkaroff."

There was a large bang as the doors to the Great Hall crashed open. The Durmstrang students barrelled into the hall, carrying staves that they thundered against the ground, creating sparks. The sound of the entrance resonated throughout the hall.

All of a sudden, a few of the students dropped their staves and dashed towards the Staff Table. They performed a spectacle of gymnastic maneuvers before one student exhaled a fireball that morphed into a dragon.

Severus was more focused on the man that lay beyond the fascinating display of pyrotechnics. Igor Karkaroff, former Death Eater. After the fall of the Dark Lord, Karkaroff had given the names of many Death Eaters in an attempt to secure his freedom. Such an act resulted in Dumbledore having to declare that Severus had been a spy before the downfall of the Dark Lord. This made the fact that the Dark Lord could return even more dangerous. Lucius Malfoy had been at Karkaroff's trial and had been wary of Severus ever since. The fact that he was also one of the Dark Lord's biggest supporters was definitely not a good thing.

Another problem was that Karkaroff would most likely start pestering him about the Dark Mark. Given how cowardly Karkaroff was, the man would start panicking soon if he wasn't already.

Karkaroff exchanged pleasantries with Dumbledore before heading to sit, as fate would have it, next to Severus. The Potions Master refused to engage Karkaroff in conversation. Thankfully, Dumbledore continued his speech.

"And now I would like to welcome the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation: Mr. Bartemius Crouch." Crouch made his way to the front of the staff table, but a sudden noise stopped everyone in their tracks.

The ceiling of the Great Hall turned from the calm night sky into a horrendous thunderstorm. Students panicked as the teachers moved to try to restore order.

Suddenly, a red bolt of magic shot towards the sky and neutralized the storm. The ceiling was restored to the calm night sky it had been. Severus turned to see Mad Eye Moody hobble over towards Dumbledore. Severus had almost forgotten that the Headmaster had hired the ex-Auror to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. That would make Severus' job even more difficult. Ever since the Dark Lord's fall, Moody had wanted to see the Potion's Master in Azkaban for being a Death Eater.

After Moody had sulked in a corner, Crouch began to speak.

"After due consideration, the Ministry has concluded that, for their own safety, no student under the age of seventeen shall be allowed to put forth their name for the tournament. This decision is final!" Crouch's final words were drowned out by students' cries that such a rule was "unfair" and "rubbish". Finally, they were hushed when Dumbledore saw fit to intervene.

"SILENCE!" The hall immediately went silent. Severus had to give the Headmaster credit for his abilities to silence a room. Dumbledore turned to the Golden Casket on his right and waved his hand. The casket vanished, revealing a simple stone goblet that stood about three feet high. Blue flames erupted within.

"The Goblet of Fire." Dumbledore continued. "Anyone wishing to submit themselves for the tournament, need only write their name on a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly. If chosen, there's no turning back. As from this moment, the Triwizard Tournament has begun."

The feast proceeded as per usual. When it finished, Severus travelled to the Slytherin Common room to await the arrival of the first years. The Prefect's tours would be finishing shortly. About ten minutes later, the Prefects came in, leading the first years behind them. Severus stepped forward.

"Welcome to Slytherin House. I am Severus Snape and I am your Head of House. For those of you who are unaware, I shall instruct you in the ways of potion making. While you are here, I expect you to treat your fellow snakes like family. You will protect each other and uphold the high standards that the past students have worked so hard to forge. Should I hear that a student is being bullied, even if the culprit is from another house, I shall be severely displeased. It is also much worse for a Slytherin to turn on their house. If I hear that students are aware of bullying and do not stand up for the student in peril, they shall hear from me personally. Am I understood?" The group of first years nodded sheepishly.

"Excellent, now, off to bed with all of you. I expect you to be well rested for your classes tomorrow." The students scurried off towards their dorms and Severus left the Slytherin common room.

"I can't believe we can't enter the tournament! That rule the Ministry made is rubbish!" Ron Weasley huffed.

"The tournament is dangerous Ronald. People have died before. Do you really think that they want to risk the life of someone who isn't of age?" Hermione asked him.

"Hermione's right Ron." Harry spoke up. "Even if I were seventeen, I still wouldn't enter."

"Why not mate?" Ron questioned. "What about all of the glory and the thousand galleons?" Harry just shrugged. His eyes drifted away from the conversation. He could care less what happened to the gold, he had plenty, but the thing that got him was the fame. He despised fame and he wished he had never been burdened with it.

There were days when he wished that Voldemort had never targeted his parents. He was the saviour of the wizarding world, but at what cost? The world had celebrated his defeat of Voldemort, but what had he done except lose his parents? Each year on Halloween when wizards celebrated, he mourned. He mourned for the family he never got to know. All Harry wanted in the world was a family.

When Sirius had suggested the idea of living with him, he was thrilled even though he had thought his Godfather was a criminal. His hopes had been shattered when Peter Pettigrew had escaped, leaving no proof of Sirius' innocence. As a result, he had spent another summer with the Dursleys.

Even when he could escape from the Dursleys, there seemed to be no escape from the scar on his forehead. It had hurt him all summer and Hermione had insisted he tell Dumbledore about it. Harry had insisted it was nothing. He couldn't possibly tell her the truth. Who would believe him? Never the less, Harry believed that Voldemort was growing stronger again. He had seen visions of a strange house all summer. It was the same vision every time.

In the vision he would walk up the stairs of an old house and head towards a single room. Inside the room, there were always three people: Wormtail, Voldemort, and a young man that Harry had never seen before. A giant snake also lurked around the house. Voldemort kept saying that the snake's milk was helping him grow stronger and that he would soon return.

That was about how far he got before Voldemort spoke an unfamiliar curse and the room filled with green light. At that point, Harry would wake up and that was how it had been all summer.

"So what do ya think mate?" Ron's voice brought him back to the present.

"Oh, sorry Ron. About what?" he ran a hand through his raven hair sheepishly.

"Who do you think is gonna end up champion from Hogwarts? Everyone keeps sayin' Diggory will be the one. I don't buy it. He's such a pretty boy."

"I heard Angelina's going to enter." Harry offered. "It'd be great if we could have a Gryffindor champion."

"Okay. So Angelina for Hogwarts, definitely Krum for Durmstrang and um…" Ron paused for a moment. "Oh! That veela girl from Beauxbatons."

"I told you boys already, she's not a veela." Hermione cut in. "At least I don't fall for people based solely on their looks."

"Lockhart." Ron said, masked by a conspicuous cough. Harry fought back a laugh.

"Anyway, I'm going to bed. Ron, try not to do something stupid like putting your name in the Goblet of Fire." She grabbed her books and left the dorms.

"What's her deal?" Ron asked, but Harry was in no mood to talk, so he simply shrugged and headed to his dorms. He was going to need a good sleep for the start of classes tomorrow. Given the circumstances, that was about as likely as the Chudley Cannons winning the World Cup.

Harry threw back the curtains on his bed and changed into his pyjamas. He sets his glasses on the stand and climbed into bed, praying he would be able to get a decent sleep.

**So what did everyone think? Let me know by reviewing. Reviews let me know that I have captured some interest and they are motivation to keep writing. The next chapter should hopefully be up soon.**

**Until next time, **

**A.E.**


End file.
